Make It Your Business To Konnect

Nowhere is the old adage 'It's not what you know, it's who you know that matters' more relevant than in the world of business. Plugging ourselves into a relevant network and engaging with the process effectively can be the difference between success and failure. 

One such network may be our collge alumni. Whilst Irish universities and colleges are only beginning to wake up to the power of a well maintained alumni network, colleges Stateside have long harnessed these hugely significant connections. From an administration point of view however, many of these alumni networks, both here and abroad, are still maintained using a cut and paste system of excel sheets and mailing lists.

A Powerful Konnection

Our featured business this week KonnectAgain, was founded by Jayne Ronayne who, on a work placement with Ernst & Young, saw first hand the power of enterprise and a network of peers. She decided to develop a software solution to help colleges and universities solve the challenge of maintaining their large and ever growing network of alumni. The software helps alumni relations officers to manage, engage and support their alumni and provides a platform for universities and colleges to unlock the potential of their alumni networks.

No More A Novice

In the start-up phase of any business,  owners are looking to influence the investment community and playing the bright eyed and bushy tailed novice often works to the businesses advantage. However, as Gerard suggested, once the business is attracting paying customers, it's time to drop the novice tag and start looking and acting like an established and successful business. Jayne is launching a second phase of her website in the Autumn and intends to lose all the current messaging around start-ups in favour of their fast growing business credentials.

Over To You

How can Jayne show on her website that this is a serious business that's here to stay? Listen back to the show on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think. 

We'd love to hear from you.

(Kickstart Your Business is broadcast live on The Right Hook on Newstalk106 in Ireland every Thursday & is available on Playback on Kickstart Your Business)

Good For Goodness Sake

I was at a networking event in Dublin earlier in the week where specialists from The Referral Institute offered tips on how to make more of your network.

The early part of the day was presented by Mike Macedonio, best-selling author of the book Truth or Delusion. One of the networking myths Mike sought to defrock was the traditional 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' (which he suggested should read more along the lines of 'Do unto others as they would have you do unto them').

I was reminded again of how poorly a christian education prepares us for the world of marketing where the good man often goes unrewarded whilst the charlatan prospers. Don't for a moment think I'm suggesting that we cast off our morals when we don our marketing hats but we are likely to be disappointed if we see virtue being its own reward in the way the old maxims suggest.

Just as Macedonio suggests, the marketplace usually demands much more from us and I think that, whilst we may start with doing things well, we must move beyond plain goodness if we are to succeed commercially.